How to Create a Permit Type

This guide walks through how to create a Permit Type in Offstreet, using a Day Permit as an example. It includes configuring parking rules, locations, pricing, tenants, and optional settings to support your parking use case.

Jenna Rodgers
44 steps
5 minutes

Offstreet

Navigate to [https://dashboard.offstreet.io/dashboard](https://dashboard.offstreet.io/dashboard)

Click the "Permits" dropdown menu.

Click "Permit Types"

This will open your Permit Types list. From here, click "**Create permit type**" to begin creating a new permit type.

Enter a name for your permit type (e.g., Day Permit). This name will be displayed to parkers during registration.

Click "Continue"

To begin configuring your parking settings, click "**Add Dates and Times**" under the "**Times**" section.

Choose the **Dates and Times** option that best matches how the permit should behave. For this Day Permit example, select Flexible Time because this permit type is intended to be reusable and ongoing, rather than tied to a specific date, date range, or one-time occurrence.

Begin configuring your Advanced Time Rules under "**Start Rules**" which control how the permit will begin. For this example, select "User Selects." This allows the parker to choose their own start date, ideal for day permits with in advance registration.

Want to learn more about the available Start Rules or not sure which option to choose? [Learn more about Advanced Time Rules here](https://support.joinoffstreet.com/en/support/solutions/articles/150000224551-understanding-advanced-time-rules).

Next, choose how the start time is determined. You can select: - **User Selects** to allow the parker to choose their own start time, or - **Specific Time** to set a fixed start time for all permits

For this example, we'll select "**Specific Time**" and set it to 7:00 AM. This means all permits will begin at a fixed time, regardless of when the parker completes registration.

So far, you’ve configured how the permit starts. The parker selects the start date, and the start time is fixed at 7:00 AM.

Under **Expiry Rules**, choose how the permit should expire. For this example, select **Same Day as Start**, which ensures the permit expires on the same day as the selected start date.

Want to learn more about the available Expiry Rules or not sure which option to choose? [Learn more about Advanced Time Rules here](https://support.joinoffstreet.com/en/support/solutions/articles/150000224551-understanding-advanced-time-rules).

Next, choose how the **expiry time** is determined. You can select: - **User Selects** to allow the parker to choose when the permit expires, or - **Specific Time** to set a fixed expiry time For this example, select **Specific Time**, which is most commonly used for Day Permits.

Enter the time the permit should expire (for example, 9:00 PM).

You’ve now configured how the permit starts and expires. The parker selects the start date, the permit begins at 7:00 AM, and expires the same day at 9:00 PM.

You can also configure **Additional Restrictions** to further control how this permit can be used. Available restrictions may include things like time increments, duration limits, or date windows. The restrictions shown here are **dynamic** and depend on the start and expiry rules you selected. - If a restriction is compatible with your setup, you’ll be able to toggle it on and configure it - If a restriction doesn’t apply based on your current rules, it will be disabled This helps prevent conflicting configurations and ensures your permit settings remain valid and consistent.

You can also limit **when this permit type is available for registration**. Toggle on **“Restrict registration availability”** to define a specific window (for example, a month, quarter, semester, or event period). This controls when users are allowed to register, not when the permit is valid. - Use this if the permit should only be available during a set timeframe - If this permit should be available year-round or on an ongoing basis, you can leave this off This is helpful for controlling access to seasonal or time-bound permits without changing the actual permit rules.

Once you’ve finished configuring your Advanced Time Rules, take a moment to review your settings, then click **“Save”** to apply them and continue.

Click **“Add Locations”** to define where this permit type can be used. This determines the parking areas where the permit will be valid.

Search for and select one or multiple locations to associate with this permit type.

(Optional) If multiple locations are added, you can toggle on **“Require users to choose a location”**. - This allows parkers to select a specific location during registration - Enables location-based capacity (if configured) This setup allows a single permit type to work across multiple parking areas.

(Optional) To set a capacity limit for a specific location, click **“Add Capacity”**. If you do not need capacity limits, you can skip this step and continue.

Input the maximum number of permits allowed for each location.

Once finished, click **“Save”** to apply your location settings and continue.

Use capacity limits if you need to control how many permits can be issued per location (for example, limited parking availability or event-based capacity). If your parking is open or not capacity-restricted, you can leave this off to keep the setup simple.

Click **“Edit Pricing”** to define how much this permit will cost.

Choose a **Pricing Type** (e.g., *Flat Rate*).

Set the total price for this parking option. **Note**: Pricing applies to the entire parking option, not per day.

Toggle on **“Charge Rate to Parkers”** and select a **Payment Setting** if you want the parker to pay directly during registration. - **If enabled**, the parker will be charged at checkout during registration - **If left off**, the permit will be **free to the parker**, but the price is still recorded - This is commonly used for **internal tracking and billing** (e.g., billing a tenant or department based on usage).

“Charge Rate to Parkers” is only available if **Offstreet Payments** is enabled and fully set up for your account.

Click **“Save”** to apply your pricing settings.

You can apply Global Rules to control settings across the entire permit type.

Want to learn more about each setting? **Learn more about Global Rules here.**

Once you’ve configured any applicable Global Rules, click **“Continue”** to move to the next step.

The **Directions** tab is used to guide parkers to the correct parking destination. Here, you can: - View the **mapped parking location(s)** - Confirm the **address and map pin** are accurate - Edit locations if needed These directions are shown to parkers in the portal when registering for a permit.

Use Directions when you want to guide parkers directly to the correct parking area. This is especially helpful when locations may be difficult to find or when multiple parking options are available.

Once you’ve reviewed or updated the directions, click “Continue” to proceed.

(Optional) You can add tenants to this permit type by searching and selecting the applicable tenant(s). Tenants control who can create permits and are typically used to segment access (e.g., by department, user group, or use case).

Search for and select one or more tenants to associate with this permit type, then click **“Continue”**.

Tip: Not sure when to add a tenant? Assign a tenant when you want to isolate a permit type to a specific group, such as creating a dedicated registration link for a department. This also enables tenant-specific reporting and tracking.

After selecting tenants, they will appear in the list below. Here, you can review all tenants associated with this permit type and confirm they are correctly applied across the selected locations.

(Optional) To limit how many permits a tenant can issue: - Toggle on **“Permit Limit”** - Enter the maximum number of permits allowed If left off, the tenant will have **unlimited permits**.

**(Optional)** To limit how many license plates can be added per permit: - Toggle on **“Plate Limit”** - Enter the maximum number of plates allowed If left off, there is **no plate limit**.

Tip: Tenant limits are optional and work alongside other limits in the system. If multiple limits exist, the **most restrictive limit will apply**.

(Optional) Click **“Create new Portal Link”** to generate a unique registration link for that tenant. This link can be shared with a specific group (e.g., a department or business operator) and used to track usage.

After assigning and configuring your tenants, review your settings and click **“Continue”** to proceed.

(Optional) If you’d like to restrict access to this permit type, toggle on **“Require codes to register.”** This ensures only users with a valid code can complete registration.\ Once enabled, you can proceed with setting up and managing your codes. Want to learn more? **Learn more about using permit codes here.**

After configuring your code settings (or skipping this step), click **“Continue”** to proceed.

The **Settings** tab allows you to customize the registration experience, collect additional information, and control how parkers interact with their permits. You can use this section to: - Add custom fields or collect additional information - Customize instructions shown to parkers - Enable features like SMS notifications or receipt requirements This step is optional and typically used to tailor the experience to your specific operational needs. Want to learn more? **Learn more about Settings here.**

Once you’ve completed your settings (or skipped this step), click **“Create”** to finalize and create your permit type.

Once your permit type has been created, you’ll be brought to the **Details** page. From here, you can: - Review your setup - Make updates or adjustments - Access the global registration link and QR code - Manage settings and configurations at any time

Tip: If you’re sharing access with a specific group or department, use the tenant-specific portal link instead of the global link.

How to Create a Permit Type

Jenna Rodgers
44 steps
5 minutes